The Henry Clay Family A Register of Its Papers in the Library of Congress Prepared by Henry Barnard Revised and expanded by Harry G. Heiss Manuscript Division, Library of Congress Washington, D.C. 2000 Contact information: http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/mss/address.html Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Manuscript Division, 2000 Finding aid URL: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms000010 Latest revision: 2004-11-16 Collection Summary Title: Henry Clay Family Papers Span Dates: 1732-1927 Bulk Dates: (bulk 1814-1852) ID No.: MSS16105 Creator: Clay, Henry, 1777-1852 Extent: 18,850 items; 75 containers; 30 linear feet; 24 microfilm reels Language: Collection material in English Repository: Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Abstract: Personal, official, and family correspondence, speeches, writings, business records, legal files, biographical material, printed matter, and other papers chiefly documenting the public career and private life of statesman Henry Clay (1777-1852), U.S. secretary of state and representative and senator from Kentucky; his son, James B. Clay (1817-1864), diplomat, U.S. representative from Kentucky, and Confederate sympathizer; and other members of Henry Clay's family. Selected Search Terms The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein. Names: Clay, Henry, 1777-1852 Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848--Correspondence Biddle, Nicholas, 1786-1844--Correspondence Blair, Francis Preston, 1791-1876--Correspondence Bragg, Braxton, 1817-1876 Breckinridge, John C. (John Cabell), 1821-1875 Brooke, Francis Taliaferro, 1763-1851--Correspondence Brown, James, 1766-1835--Correspondence Buchanan, James, 1791-1868 Clay, Henry, 1811-1847--Correspondence Clay, Henry, 1849-1884--Correspondence Clay, James Brown, 1848-1908--Correspondence Clay, John, 1775-1829--Correspondence Clay, Lucretia Hart, 1781-1864--Correspondence Clay, Porter, 1779-1849--Correspondence Clay, Susan Maria Jacob Clay, Theodore Wythe, 1802-1870--Correspondence Clay, Thomas Jacob, 1853-1939--Correspondence Clay family Colton, Calvin, 1789-1857 Erwin, Anne Brown Clay, 1807-1835--Correspondence Greeley, Horace, 1811-1872--Correspondence Greely, A. W. (Adolphus Washington), 1844-1935 Harrison, William Henry, 1773-1841--Correspondence Hart, Thomas, d. 1808--Correspondence Howgate, Henry W. Hughes, Christopher, 1786-1849--Correspondence Jackson, Andrew, 1767-1845. Johnston, Josiah Stoddard, 1784-1833--Correspondence Kendall, Amos, 1789-1869--Correspondence Lafayette, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, marquis de, 1757-1834--Correspondence Marshall, Humphrey, 1760-1841 Marshall, John, 1755-1835--Correspondence Henry Clay Family Papers 2 Monroe, James, 1758-1831--Correspondence Nicholas, George, 1754?-1799 Porter, Peter B. (Peter Buell), 1773-1844--Correspondence Randolph, John, 1773-1833 Rochester, William Beatty, 1789-1838--Correspondence Rush, Richard, 1780-1859--Correspondence Sergeant, John, 1779-1852--Correspondence Taylor, Zachary, 1784-1850--Correspondence Watkins, Elizabeth Hudson Clay, 1750-1829--Correspondence Webster, Daniel, 1782-1852--Correspondence Wickliffe, Robert, 1775-1859--Correspondence Clay, James B. (James Brown), 1817-1864. Papers of James B. Clay Morrison, James, 1755-1823. Papers of James Morison Bank of the United States (1816-1836) Liberty Party (U.S.) Transylvania University Great Britain. Treaties, etc. United States, 1814 Dec. 24 United States. Army--History--War of 1812 United States. Army. Cavalry United States. Dept. of State Whig Party (U.S.) Conference Convention (1861 : Washington, D.C.) Congress of Panama (1826) Subjects: Burr Conspiracy, 1805-1807 Banks and banking--Kentucky--Lexington Diplomatic and consular service, American--19th century Diplomatic and consular service, American--Portugal Elections--United States Indians of North America--Texas Mexicans--Texas Nullification Practice of law--Kentucky--Lexington Presidents--United States--Election--1824 Presidents--United States--Election--1832 Presidents--United States--Election--1844 Presidents--United States--Election--1856 Public lands--United States Slavery--Washington (D.C.) Tariff--United States Arctic regions--Discovery and exploration Fort Clark (Tex.)--History Kentucky--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 Kentucky--Politics and government--1792-1865 Latin America--Foreign relations--United States New York (State)--Politics and government--1775-1865 Texas--Annexation to the United States Texas--History--1845-1950 United States--Foreign relations--Latin America United States--History--War of 1812 United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 United States--Politics and government--19th century Occupations: Henry Clay Family Papers 3 Representatives, U.S. Congress--Kentucky Senators, U.S. Congress--Kentucky Statesmen Administrative Information Provenance: The papers of Henry Clay, congressman, senator, and secretary of state, and those of his family were received by the Library of Congress through numerous purchases and gifts, 1899-1997, with the largest acquisitions being a purchase from Thomas Jacob Clay and George Hudson Clay in 1924 and donations by the estate of Thomas Jacob Clay in 1940 and 1943. Processing History: The papers of the Henry Clay family were arranged and described in 1981. Additional material was incorporated into the collection in 2000. Transfers: Photographs and other pictorial material have been transferred to the Library's Prints and Photographs Division where they are identified as part of these papers. Copyright Status: The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Henry Clay is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.). Microfilm: A microfilm edition of part of the Henry Clay Family Papers and of selected Henry Clay items from other collections in the Manuscript Division is available on twenty-four reels. Produced by the National Archives and Records Administration, the microfilm edition is described in a separate register. Consult a reference librarian in the Manuscript Division concerning availability for purchase or interlibrary loan. Published Editions: The Henry Clay Family Papers have also been substantially reproduced in The Works of Henry Clay, 6 vols. (New York, N.Y.: A. S. Barnes & Burr, 1855-1857), Works of Henry Clay, Comprising His Life, Correspondence, and Speeches, edited by Calvin Colton (New York, N.Y.: Henry Clay Publishing Co., 1897), and The Papers of Henry Clay, edited by James F. Hopkins and Mary W. M. Hargreaves (Lexington, Ky.: University of Kentucky Press, ca. 1959, ca. 1992). Preferred Citation: Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Roman numeral designating the Part followed by a colon and container number, The Henry Clay Family Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Biographical Note Henry Clay Date Event 1777, Apr. 12 Born, Hanover County, Va. 1791 Appointed clerk, Richard Denny's retail store, Richmond, Va. 1792 Appointed clerk, Office of the Clerk, High Court of Chancery, Richmond, Va. Henry Clay Family Papers 4 1796 Studied law under Robert Brooke 1797 Admitted to the Virginia bar Moved to Lexington, Ky. 1798 Admitted to the Kentucky bar 1799 Married Lucretia Hart (died 1864) 1803-1809 Member, Kentucky legislature 1806-1807 Member, U.S. Senate, filling unexpired seat of John Adair 1807-1809 Speaker, Kentucky legislature 1809 Survived duel with Humphrey Marshall 1809-1811 Member, U.S. Senate, filling unexpired seat of Buckner Thruston 1811-1821 Member, U.S. House of Representatives; speaker, 1811-1820 1814 Appointed commissioner, Ghent Peace Commission, Ghent, Belgium 1816 Appointed presiding officer, founding meeting of the American Colonization Society 1820-1825 Counsel, Bank of the United States 1821 Resigned from U.S. House of Representatives 1822 Nominated for president by Kentucky legislature 1822-1823 Commissioner, land claim dispute between Kentucky and Virginia 1823-1825 Member and speaker, U.S. House of Representatives 1824 Announced as Whig candidate for president 1825-1829 Secretary of state 1826 Survived duel with John Randolph 1827 Published Address to the Public 1830 Nominated for president by Kentucky legislature 1831 Nominated as Whig candidate for president 1831-1842 Member, U.S. Senate 1836 Elected president, American Colonization Society Henry Clay Family Papers 5 1838 Nominated for president by Kentucky legislature 1844 Nominated as Whig candidate for president 1848 Announced as Whig candidate for president 1849-1851 Member, U.S. Senate 1852, June 29 Died, Washington, D.C. Scope and Content Note The Henry Clay Family Papers span the years 1732-1927, with the bulk of the material that pertains to Henry Clay (1777-1852) himself falling in the period 1814-1852. The papers consist of personal, official, and family correspondence, business records, biographical material, speeches, writings, legal files, printed matter, and other material that chiefly document the public career and private life of Henry Clay and, to a lesser extent, that of his immediate family. The papers are organized in two parts based on their acquisition by the Library. Part I consists mostly of material acquired in 1924 from Henry Clay's grandsons, Thomas Jacob Clay and George Hudson Clay. Part II was received primarily from the estate of Thomas Jacob Clay in 1940 and 1943. Both Part I